Arnos Vale

Arnos Vale Road meanders through the greenery towards Arnos Vale, one of the few former sugar plantations to keep its land, part of which is taken up with a resort hotel, which has long been in decline and has now closed to the public, as has the adjacent waterwheel and museum, which you can just see through the trees from the main road. Arnos Vale Beach is very pretty, though the crumbling hotel buildings behind add a very Marie Celeste air, and the snorkelling just offshore is some of the island’s best; however, its secluded nature and lack of security mean that robberies have occurred here, so unless you’re in a big group it’s best visited as part of a boat trip; many day-cruises stop here for snorkelling.